Believe
by mysticgirl916
Summary: Regionals is just around the corner for the glee club. An original song written by Will helps Tina come out of her shell and gain more confidence. But will Tina's newfound belief in herself be enough for New Directions to win?
1. Shy Tina's New Strength

Ever since their victory at sectionals, the kids in the glee club were working hard at perfecting their vocals and dancing in preparation for regionals. They knew the competition was going to be tough, and they knew that Vocal Adrenaline, their rivals from Carmel High, would be the toughest of all. It was going to take something special to help them make a decent showing.

The kids were already assembled in the choir room when Will came in. He dropped his bag on the piano and pulled out a stack of sheet music.

"Okay guys," he said as he started to pass out the music. "Regionals is just around the corner and we've really got to up our game since we know what we're up against. I think this song will be our secret weapon if we pull it off right." The kids looked at the music they had in their hands, it was a song they never heard of before, it was called "Believe". Rachel hummed the melody to herself, it was very simple and flowed beautifully throughout. She raised her hand.

"Mr. Schu," she said, "this melody is really beautiful – I think it will make a perfect ballad." Everyone agreed.

"I'm glad you like it, Rachel," Will replied.

"I got to say that whoever wrote this song put his whole heart into it," Kurt added. "May I ask who wrote this?"

"I did," Will confessed, a shy smile crossing his face. "I wrote it a month ago."

The students looked at him with a mixture of surprise and pride, they couldn't believe their teacher did this for them.

"What made you decide to write a song just for us?" Quinn asked.

"I wanted to do something that reminded me of how far we've come together," Will responded, "so I took those reminders and came out with what you're holding in front of you. And besides, I think an original song will go over well with the judges if we mixed it into our regionals set list." Everyone had to agree with what he said, they had come a long way together, and they were certain that they would have the only original song among the competing groups.

"You're right," Finn said. "I don't think even Vocal Adrenaline has something like this. It's definitely worth a shot." As the students talked amongst themselves, Will calmly crossed the room back over to the piano, where he sat down and started to play the melody of the song. A hush fell over the room as the kids listened, but then a lone female voice began to sing the lyrics. It was a shy and hesitant voice at first, but with each word it grew stronger and more confident. Heads turned to find out whose voice it was.

The voice belonged to Tina. Usually the quietest girl in the glee club, Tina Cohen-Chang was singing with an intensity that matched the words Will had written. Finn and Rachel urged her to continue, and soon Tina was standing in front of the others performing the ballad with all the emotion she could force out of her. Kurt and Rachel were moved to tears, Santana, Brittany and Mike were waving their cell phones in the air, Mercedes beamed with pride and Finn felt a chill course through his body. When Tina sang the final notes of the song and the music died away, the rest of the kids gave her a standing ovation. Will walked over and put a gentle hand on Tina's shoulder.

"Tina, you sang that beautifully," he said, his eyes sparkling with pride. "I am so proud of you."

Tina stared shyly at her black-painted fingernails before responding, "Thank you, Mr. Schu" in a quiet voice. Rachel walked over and gave the petite girl a hug.

"I was really impressed, Tina," she said, taking her hands in Tina's. "How were you able to just start singing like that?"

"I don't know," Tina confessed, "it was just when I heard the music playing, something inside me made me want to come out of my shell and start singing." A smile crossed Rachel's face.

"I don't think even I could have sang that song better than what you just did," she said. "You should sing it as a solo at regionals." Everyone agreed, including Will himself.

"Will you sing lead on it, Tina?" he asked her.

Her heart pounding, Tina nodded. "Yes," she said calmly, "I would be honored to."


	2. Confidence Can Be Taught

The final bell rang to end the school day. Though there wasn't a glee practice scheduled, Will was alone in the choir room finalizing the set list for regionals and working on a few extra arrangements on one of the songs – Principal Figgins, through a conversation with the Ohio show choir governing board, had assured him that there would be no interference of any kind in regards to the club's set list or performance at the competition. He heard the door at the far end creak open and footsteps against the floor – someone had entered the room. Turning his head, he saw Tina standing there.

"Can I talk to you about something, Mr. Schu?" she asked. Will smiled at her.

"Of course Tina, as your teacher I'm here to help you when you need it," he replied. "Let's sit over there." He pulled up two chairs – one for her and one for himself. Tina dropped her backpack beside her chair and sat down.

"I wanted to tell you that I really love the song you wrote, it touches me right here," she said as she put a hand to her heart.

"Thank you," Will replied. "It must have taken a lot of courage for you to start singing when you did, you're usually very quiet and shy."

"I know," said Tina, "confidence has usually been a tough obstacle for me to overcome."

She told Will all about how she was so shy as a child, she started stuttering to try and hide it. Glee was her only creative outlet, the only place where she could truly express herself and not be judged by her peers within the club.

"And ever since you gave me the lead on your song, I gained a little trust in myself," Tina confided. "But I wish I had more confidence, and with regionals coming up I'm going to need it more than ever." Will assessed her situation, and with a friendly smile he leaned forward in his chair.

"What we need to do, Tina," he told her, "is to keep building your confidence so you can feel strong on stage when you sing your solo. You are a gifted performer, and you always give everything you have to each performance. We have a week and a half until regionals, so I thought we could work together privately every day after school until then, just the two of us. And I'm sure the other glee kids could help you during rehearsals as well. Would you be willing to give it a try?"

"I'm willing to try anything," Tina replied. "When do we start?"

"Let's start tomorrow," Will said, "come straight here after the last bell, I will be waiting for you." The two stood up, and Tina hugged her teacher warmly in appreciation.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Schu," she said. "I knew you were the right person to come to for advice." Will hugged her back just as warmly.

Over the next few days, Will worked with Tina privately to help build her confidence up. They started each session with some meditation to help calm her thoughts, then he showed her some relaxation techniques to help her feel more comfortable on stage and taught her how to project her voice to the back of the room so the entire audience could hear. He also ran the song through with her each day to help her feel more at ease with it, and with each passing day Tina really could feel her confidence rising.

Even during glee practices, the other kids were eager to help her. Rachel often gave her tips about poise and stage presence as she spoke from her extensive experiences, Santana, Brittany and Quinn pampered her with beauty treatments to help her outer confidence shine as much as her inner confidence, and Kurt and Mercedes gave her style tips to help her look and feel at her best. Thanks to everyone's help, she was feeling even better about herself than ever before.

Two days before regionals, Tina and Will had their last private lesson together. They sat side by side at the piano as she ran through the solo one last time, her spirits high and her voice strong and confident.

"I am so proud of you Tina," Will commented as the song ended, "you have come such a long way in a short period of time. I think you are more ready than ever."

"It's because I have great friends in Rachel and the others to help me, as well as a wonderful teacher like you," Tina replied. They spent the remaining time of their lesson doing improvised piano duets, laughing and having a good time.

"Hard to believe that regionals is this weekend," she said. "Do you think we really have a chance to beat Vocal Adrenaline?"

"I actually think we do," replied Will. "Sure we may not have their polish and pizzazz, but what we do have working for us is our determination and heart. As long as we have that, we are going to give it our best shot and hope for the best."

Tina readily agreed.


	3. Regionals

The bus pulled into the parking lot, having reached its destination – a large performing arts and cultural complex an hour outside of Lima. Puck and Mike were the first off the bus, and they opened the handicap-access door to help Artie. The rest of the glee club spilled off in turn, all carrying their costumes – the girls carrying small shoulder totes with cosmetics and various styling products.

They had made it. After weeks of rehearsing, preparation and hard work. They were about to compete at the Western Ohio regional show choir championships.

When everyone was off the bus, Will gathered the kids together for a pep talk.

"Well guys, here we are," he said with a huge smile, and everyone applauded wildly. "Nobody thought we could get this far, and no matter what happens today, we are still winners. We've got a great set list, we are on top of our game and I think we've got a shot. So let's give it everything we have!" With one more cheer from the group, they all walked together to the competition venue.

Once inside the bright, spacious lobby of the theater, Will went to go sign in while the others were in awe of their surroundings.

"Mr. Schu was right, nobody thought we could get this far, but here we are," commented Finn.

"I know, this is so exciting," added Rachel, "I think we're going to do really well. We've worked so hard, and we all believe in each other."

"Right," said Artie, speaking from a musician's perspective. "Vocal Adrenaline may have more flash and over-the-top choreography than we do, but we've got heart and determination. Nobody can take that away from us."

Some time later, Will re-joined the group.

"All right, we're all signed in," he told them as he handed the kids each a program. "According to the program, we're going last. Carmel is going third." Suddenly, the students remembered what Rachel said at sectionals, going last would keep them fresh in the judges' minds. A competition volunteer walked up to them.

"McKinley High? Please follow me." The group followed the volunteer from the lobby to the backstage area where they were directed to their assigned dressing room. She wished them good luck as she unlocked the door and let them in before walking away.

The dressing room was large and spacious enough to accommodate every member. Each spot had a lighted mirror and space for their costumes. A large flat-screen monitor was mounted on the wall by the door so they could watch the other groups perform. The kids claimed their spots and began to hang up their stuff. Tina had chosen the spot closest to the door, her hands rested under her chin as she was lost in thought.

"Hey Tina, are you okay?" asked Santana.

"Yeah, I'm all right, just thinking about stuff," she replied. Santana put her tote bag down, pulled out a brush and began to run it through Tina's hair.

"You have the nicest hair, it's so easy to work with. Let me see what I can do with it."

Tina smiled at her reflection in the mirror and started to apply her makeup as the Cheerio styled her hair, soon Brittany came over to watch. Over at the far end of the room, Mercedes and Kurt were having an animated discussion, Quinn was helping Rachel with her hair, Finn, Matt and Mike had busted out their portable video game systems and challenging one another, Puck was chilling out by listening to his iPod, and Artie was reading a comic book. Will stood in the corner of the room and smiled, seeing how relaxed and loose everyone was. He knew they were going to be fine out there.

"Look you guys, it's starting!" Finn exclaimed as he saw the curtain rise on the monitor.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2009 Western Ohio regional show choir competition!" the emcee exclaimed to the audience in the auditorium, which burst into applause. "Today, you're going to see five of the best high school show choirs in the region compete for the right to represent western Ohio at the state championships being held 2 months from now in Cleveland. They have all qualified for this event by winning their sectional competitions, and the teams you will see today are truly the best of the field."

Backstage, as the emcee continued his introduction, the glee club had changed into their costumes, all the while keeping tabs on the television monitor. The girls were wearing identical red velvet dresses with a wide black sash tied at the side of the waist, the boys were wearing red button-up shirts and black pants. Tina stared at her reflection in the mirror again, Santana had styled her hair in a messy yet stylish updo, two soft tendrils of black hair framing each side of her face. She toyed with one of the dangling silver star earrings hanging from her ears and began to meditate, just like Will had taught her in her private sessions.

Soon, the performances began. The first two groups were good, but the McKinley team was eager to see their main rivals.

"And now," said the emcee as he appeared on the monitor, "please welcome our defending regional champions, from Carmel High School – Vocal Adrenaline!"

The crowd cheered madly as the curtain rose on the Carmel team, who were decked out in blue and black sequined outfits. The music began, and they began their first number, "Mercy". The choreography was slick and polished, their vocals strong. Their second number had their top soloist sing lead on their ballad, "Yesterday", then they closed with their crowd-pleaser, "Rehab". When they finished, the crowd response was overly enthusiastic.

"They were good," Mercedes mused as the Carmel team finished.

"They were good, but they weren't great," Rachel added – her theatrical experience doing the talking. "They've got good choreography, but they're all flash and no heart." Even Kurt, who usually didn't agree with Rachel, had to agree.

"You're right, Rachel," he said, "even I could tell that something was off about their performance. It's as if they were trying too hard."

As the fourth performance started, there was a knock at the door. Tina went to open it, and another volunteer who was acting as a show runner was standing outside.

"McKinley High, you're on next. Please get ready." Tina thanked her and relayed the message to the others. Will picked up his sheet music and the other kids got up, ready to go on stage.

"Well guys, this is it," Finn said. "Are you ready?" The group cheered to acknowledge him. Will went over to Tina and put his hands in hers.

"Tina, I just want to say that you are going to be wonderful tonight," he told her. "Just remember what you learned in our private sessions together and you'll be fine. I'll be right there with you." Since he was accompanying Tina on the ballad, he would be watching from the wings as the group performed their other two numbers.

"You know what, Mr. Schu," Tina replied, "I think I'm going to be fine too." The McKinley team let out another cheer as they filed out of the dressing room and headed towards the stage, Will and Tina bringing up the rear. It was time for New Directions to show everyone that they had made a comeback.


	4. If I Just Believe

Behind the closed curtain, stagehands were setting up for the final performance. The school's jazz band took their places, and Will gave the kids a thumbs-up as they scurried to their positions. The work lights on stage dimmed, engulfing everyone in darkness. The time had finally arrived.

On the other side of the curtain, the emcee made his introduction.

"And now ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "it's time to welcome our final group of the competition. They are representing the Central Lima section and have returned to the regional contest for the first time since 1993. Please welcome, from William McKinley High School, New Directions!" The audience applauded enthusiastically as the curtain rose and the lights came up on stage to reveal the kids calmly standing in their opening pose. Seconds later, the singing began.

Their first number was their anthem, "Don't Stop Believing". Finn and Rachel led the way as the others executed the simple choreography flawlessly. From his spot in the wings, Will took a curious glance at the audience, wondering how they were receiving the performance. Sure enough, several audience members had stood up and started dancing, others were singing along. The judges, sitting in the front row, gazed up at the kids with interest. The song ended to thunderous applause.

The second song was "You Can't Always Get What You Want", the song that helped them win sectionals. And this performance was stronger than their sectionals performance, they were singing the song with more intensity and power than ever before. More and more audience members had stood up to dance, there was much hand-clapping and fist-pumping from others. They ended the number on a high, sustained, mighty note, their arms outstretched towards the audience, which applauded wildly.

They had decided to save the original ballad – their secret weapon – for last. Rachel stepped forward to make the introduction as Will slipped out of the wings and sat down at the piano.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for our final number we would like to perform for you an original song written and composed by our teacher, Mr. Schuester," Rachel said, and the audience responded with warm applause. "The song is called 'Believe', and here to sing it is Miss Tina Cohen-Chang." There was more applause as Tina stepped forward to center stage, bathed in the spotlight as Rachel re-joined the others. She gave a short nod to Will, who began to play. Taking a deep breath, Tina began to sing.

_  
As I'm walking down my chosen path  
With many tests along the way  
I close my eyes and think about  
What it is I want to say_

_I may be faced with choices  
But I'm not afraid to try  
If I trust myself and spread my wings  
Then my spirit's sure to fly_

_If I just believe  
I can face the world before me  
And my heart will see me through  
I can overcome my darkest fears  
With courage and with faith  
But if I just believe  
My dreams can come true_

_But I can't face this test alone  
My loneliness can't hide  
But I'm proud to say that I have got  
My friends by my side_

_We'll make it through together  
Through the sadness and the pain  
Till we find a new tomorrow  
And see our spirit shine again_

_If I just believe  
I can face the world before me  
And my heart will see me through  
I can overcome my darkest fears  
With courage and with faith  
But if I just believe  
My dreams can come true_

_There's a dream in every one of us  
There's a light inside our heart  
Our journey's not the ending  
It's only just the start_

_Just the start…_

_So if I just believe  
I can face the world before me  
And my heart will see me through  
I can overcome my darkest fears  
With courage and with faith  
But if I just believe  
My dreams will come true_

_But if I just believe  
My dreams will come true_

_Just…believe_

As the last notes of the music died away, the audience response was deafening. People were standing, cheering, whistling. The judges were standing as well, acknowledging what they had just heard. Tina smiled, a tear falling slowly down her cheek as behind her, the others were applauding as well. The curtain fell, concluding the glee club's successful set.

Backstage in the hallway, the rest of the club crowded around Tina, hugging her and telling her how brilliant she was. But the proudest of all was Will, who picked her up in his strong arms and twirled her around in a warm embrace.

"You did it, Tina," he said to her as he set her down, "I knew you could. How did you feel out there?"

"I felt great," she replied. "As soon as the music began, I remembered everything you taught me and just sang from my heart. I have more confidence now to take on anything, whether it's glee or other aspects of my life. Like your lyrics said, if I just believe, my dreams can come true." Everyone applauded in agreement.

"We did all we could out there," Finn commented, "but it's in the judges' hands now. But from the audience's reaction, I truly think we have a shot at this." As the rest of the kids continued to rave about their performance, Will leaned against the wall and remembered the deal he struck with Principal Figgins when he first took over the club – if they fared well at regionals, the program would stay alive and would receive proper funding. He had no doubt in his mind that they were going to make a strong showing.

It was all in the hands of the judges now.


	5. Dreams Do Come True

The regionals organizing committee had arranged for some entertainment to fill the time while the judges deliberated the final results. But for the McKinley High glee club, that void of time felt like an eternity. A million questions raced through everyone's minds, questions like whether or not the judges enjoyed their set, or their "secret weapon" of an original song was that good. But the most burning question of all was: was their simplicity and heart enough to beat the flash and pizzazz of Vocal Adrenaline.

The group was still in the hallway by the right-stage door, Rachel was pacing nervously while Finn tried to calm her down. Five minutes turned into ten, ten into twenty, twenty into thirty. Finally forty-five minutes later, a show runner rushed down the hall to pass on a message.

"The judges have made their decision," she informed the group.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have been informed that the judges have made their decision and we are ready to name this year's regional champions," the emcee said. As he continued to talk about how well all the groups performed, all five groups were squeezed into the wings on either side of the stage, ready to receive their fate. The McKinley team was crowded in the wings on stage right, nerves coursing through them, hands clasped. A judge passed the envelope containing the final verdict to the emcee, who opened it and took out the card that was inside. A drumroll recording blared out of the sound system.

"In third place, from Green Forest High…Emerald Explosion!" Everyone applauded as the Green Forest team came out to accept the third-place trophy. They hoisted it high proudly, then stepped back. The drumroll sounded again.

"In second place, from Carmel High…Vocal Adrenaline!" The Carmel team accepted the second-place trophy, but not with the same pride as the Green Forest team did with their third place showing. All the other groups agreed that they were the team to beat, but on this day someone was better than they were.

"I can't believe Carmel placed second," Rachel whispered to the others, "they were the overwhelming favorites to repeat this year. Now I think we actually have a chance!"

"And now," announced the emcee, "it is my absolute honor to announce that our first place winner, and new Western Ohio regional show choir champions, who will represent us at the Ohio state championships, are…McKinley High's New Directions!"

The auditorium exploded with applause. In the wings, it was a scene of jubilation as the kids celebrated their victory. They were screaming, high-fiving and embracing one another, there was much crying and elation as one of the other groups congratulated them on a job well done. Rachel led the group on stage where the emcee was waiting with the first-place trophy. He handed it to Rachel, who handed it off to Will, and together they raised the trophy in the air as the audience continued to stand and applaud the champions. Flashbulbs popped at the front of the stage as the local press captured the moment.

"There is one more presentation to make," said the emcee as the applause died down, "and that is for this year's outstanding soloist. It was a unanimous choice across the board, and this person should be commended for a well-sung performance that caught our attention and touched our hearts. This year's outstanding soloist is Tina Cohen-Chang from McKinley High!"

Tina's hands flew to her mouth in shock. Around her, the other kids patted her on the shoulder and cheered. Finn gently pushed her up front and she walked over to the emcee who handed her the award and a bouquet of flowers. He asked her if she had anything she'd like to say, and passed her the microphone as she set her award down.

"I'm totally shocked," Tina said, "I never expected to be chosen out of five very strong, talented groups. But I am honored by this. I would like to thank the judges for selecting me for this award, and of course, my friends in New Directions who stood by me throughout this whole competition. I really couldn't have done it without you guys." The audience applauded as her friends looked on with pride.

"But most of all," continued Tina, "I would like to thank my teacher, Mr. Schuester, who wrote such a heartfelt song and believed in me enough to find the confidence to sing it. Mr. Schu, if it weren't for you, I would never have had the strength to believe in myself." Will came over to Tina's side, and she gave him the warmest, heartfelt hug in the world – both student and teacher feeling tears of happiness stream down their faces as the cameras from the press snapped away. Soon the other kids joined them in a group hug as the audience continued to stand and cheer.

They had done it – they had won regionals and were going on to state.

All because Tina found the courage to believe in herself.


	6. Celebration

It was the Monday after regionals, and the glee club had gathered in the choir room for a party to celebrate their victory. Will had made a CD mix of songs that represented each member including himself, the kids brought snacks and sodas, and everyone brought in copies of the local newspaper. The Lima News had run a front-page story about the win, a large photo of the entire club posing with the championship trophy and the headline "McKinley Miracle! Local high school glee club wins regional show choir championship."

"I'm still not over the shock, you know," Mercedes said amongst the much dancing and laughter. "I mean, we're going to state in 2 months – we actually pulled off this thing when many said we couldn't! Our secret weapon was the bomb, baby!"

"Preach, girlfriend!" Artie replied, pumping his fist in the air. "Mr. Schu wrote a killer song, and Tina sang the living daylights out of it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we did this at state too." The rest of the kids cheered as Tina's face blushed bright pink.

"I really don't know what to say," Tina said.

"Come on girl, don't be so modest," added Matt. "Right from the first note of that solo I knew we were going to win."

"Matt's right," said Will, "even watching you from the piano I felt we had a chance to win. Be proud that you found your strength at the time you needed it most."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Will asked Rachel to get it, and she dashed across the floor to get it.

"Principal Figgins!" she exclaimed as she saw the man standing in the doorway. The principal never left his office unless it was for something important.

"Excuse me, Miss Berry," the principal said, "but could I borrow Mr. Schuester for a moment?" Rachel went to get Will, and he went outside into the hallway to stand with his boss. The door to the choir room closed behind them, leaving the two men alone.

"Well Schu," Figgins said, "you pulled it off. I've been taking calls all day, the principal of Carmel was the first to congratulate me. The local press has been calling too with offers to interview you and the students, your victory has brought much pride and honor to McKinley High."

"It was a total team effort, sir," Will said modestly. "All of us worked together to do what many thought we couldn't."

"And even I had my doubts about it when you took over the responsibility of running the glee club," said Figgins, "which is why I'm ready to honor our bargain. I talked to the district superintendent this morning, and as of immediately you and the glee club will be granted full funding as you prepare for the state competition. As well, the school auditorium is free for your use at any time, day or night."

"Full funding?" Will asked in amazement. "Sue isn't going to like this."

"Don't worry about Sue," assured the principal, "I will be keeping a closer eye on her to make sure that she doesn't pull the same stunts on you that she did before sectionals. You have my word that any interference on her part will result in severe consequences."

He stuck out his hand. "Good work, Schu," he said.

Will returned the handshake. "Thank you, sir," he replied, then watched as the principal turned to walk back down the hallway. He opened the door to the choir room and stepped back inside.

As if on cue, Tina started to sing the first notes of "Believe" acapella. Will joined in, his voice harmonizing with hers. Soon Rachel's voice added to theirs, then Finn's, then Quinn's until all thirteen were singing together. It was their song, a testament of how far they had come and what they were willing to do to make their dreams reality.

_If I just believe, my dreams will come true_

For that brief moment, it felt like they already did.

*THE END*

* * *

**A/N: **I enjoyed writing this story greatly, reviews would be appreciated if you liked reading Tina's story of finding courage with Will's help as much as I liked writing it.

Wishing you all a Christmas that is filled with love, happiness...and of course Glee!


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